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Custom LEGO minifig kit

This is our custom LEGO minifig kit. It includes a clear gloss primer (to help the paint adhere to the plastic figures), acrylic paint, a paint well, small brushes, and several minifig parts I found on eBay. I also included a soldering stand to help with the detail work.

So, my younger son turns eight this week. He’s been after me for a while to help him make custom LEGO minifigures for the characters that are unavailable from LEGO (or hard to find). This is what I came up with.

I found out that I could buy a bunch of random LEGO minifig parts on eBay for a really good price. So bought a bunch of heads, torsos, hands, arms and legs. Then, I picked up some acrylic paint, a paint well and some small brushes. I’m using a clear paint primer to try to get the acrylic to stick to the plastic (and then protect it when it’s dry). I organized them in a crafter’s box with adjustable compartments.

Finally, since I have no illusions as to who’s going to be working alongside him during this, I picked up a soldering stand. It’s a weighted stand with a magnifying glass, a small LED light, and two adjutable alligator clips. I figure this will make it easier to hold the small parts steady while we paint those teeny tiny details.

I don’t think we’re going to give Evil Inc arch-henchman David Oakes a run for his money anytime soon, but I’m really looking forward to the time I get to spend with my kid letting out imaginations run wild. I’ll be sure to post some of the results here as soon as we get our first attempts done.

You want to get some 400 grit sandpaper, to remove any existing details. And maybe some 600 grit to smooth it down afterwards. Even if you aren’t taking anything off, you should scuff the surface just a bit to give the paint something to adhere to.

If you’re doing a lot of work with the helping hands I suggest getting or building something like https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11784, which is a lot more flexible. A couple of layers of heatshrink on the jaws, and you’ll be all set for holding small plastic parts at useful angles